Following in His Father's Footsteps
by sickthrowaway
Summary: Nine months have passed, and Rin and his friends have finally defeated Satan, right in his home at Gehenna. When an unexpected situation arises, Rin is forced to take the throne in his father's absence. War ensues, and all of Assiah is ravaged by the atrocities of the conflict. Shiemi, now a full fledged exorcist, follows Rin on his quest to finally unite the two warring kingdoms.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! This is an Ao No Exorcist AU that I decided to write, as I like the whole "evil Rin" idea that some people write, even thought Rin isn't really evil per say in this story, as you'll come to find out. This fic takes place in an AU after Satan's rule in Gehenna is overthrown, and Rin steps up to take his father's place. If you enjoy the first chapter, please leave a fav and a follow and tell me what you liked about it. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: King Rin**

Shiemi's bloodshot eyes fluttered open at the sound of a trumpet being blown, signaling her and the other nurses to treat a new batch of wounded exorcists. Pulling on her jacket, she stepped out of her tent and into the frigid winter, the chilly air stinging her nose and cheeks. She witnessed around twenty or so exorcists being hauled in on stretchers, some missing limbs and others bleeding profusely.

"Come on Shiemi, we've got wounded to take care of." her friend Paku said, emerging from her tent and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"R-Right." Shiemi mumbled, following Paku as they both headed to the medical tent. Entering the tent and both of them getting to work on a man that lost an arm, Shiemi recalled how this awful conflict had begun, her eyes watering up yet again.

**Flashback:**

Rin stood over Satan's corpse, surrounded by his friends who had helped him defeat his blood father. Only hours ago, the Vatican had launched a full scale attack against Gehenna, and Rin and his friends along with their teacher Shura had been a part of the task force entrusted with the job of breaching the throne room and ending Satan's reign for good.

Rin eyed Satan's body with a sad look in his eyes, but they seemed content with what he had done. Picking up Satan's sword, he turned it around and held it in his own hands as he remembered his father's final words:

"Even now, as you stand in my throne room, impaling me on your own blade imbued with my power, I can feel the doubt in your heart. I know that my kingdom dies along with me, but I implore you, Rin, when this is all over, take my sword. It has the ability to see into the hearts of men and demons alike, and before you return to your everyday life, look into the hearts of your 'friends.' You might be surprised at what you find."

Honouring his father's final wish, he drew the black sword, and it was as if his third eye was opened in that moment. The tired faces of his friends showed new expressions, but it was hard for Rin to put into words. He could see what his friends really thought of him, and even what they had planned for him in the future.

_After this whole assault is over, the Vatican is going to have Rin and Yukio executed in secret. Nobody will ever know, and they'll chalk it up to the wounds Rin and Yukio received in their battle. I imagine they want to sever Satan's bloodline for good,_ Shura thought.

_My brother and I are probably going to be killed any time now, we've served our purpose to the Vatican,_ Yukio thought.

_Everyone knows he's going to die, everyone except Shiemi. I don't think any of us could bear to tell her,_ Ryuji thought.

_I don't want Rin to die, but what can I do?_ Izumo thought as she shuffled her feet nervously.

_I'm so glad he's okay,_ Shiemi thought.

It was like Rin was being bombarded by so many sensations at once, he felt the emotions of everyone around him but could hear their thoughts at the same time. His hands trembled as he dropped his father's sword, and he slowly turned around to meet the gaze of those he once called friends.

"Rin, what's wrong?" Yukio asked, as Rin looked back at him with a look of utter disgust.

"Am I just some pawn to you all? Is my life really worth nothing?..." he replied with a shaky voice.

"Rin, what are you talking abou-" Shura began, but she was interrupted by Rin, who pointed his sword at her.

"YOU! YOU KNEW. YOU KNEW THE VATICAN WOULD HAVE YUKIO AND I KILLED, AND YOU DID NOTHING!" he bellowed at her, his voice shaking the throne room.

"Rin, that's not true, if you just let me explain-" she began again, but she was cut off again.

"AND YUKIO, MY OWN BROTHER? You… would keep such a secret from me? From Shiemi?" he said, pointing his sword at his brother, who wore a stoic impression on his face.

"It had to be done, Rin… for the greater good." Yukio said, his voice unfaltering.

Rin couldn't believe what he was hearing coming from his brother's mouth. Shiemi wanted to speak up, to ask what the hell was going on, but she was unable to form words and remained silent.

"The greater good? What good comes from executing the two people responsible for killing Satan in the first place?!" he shouted.

"The Vatican needs Satan's bloodline exterminated once and for all. Only then can Satan be truly defeated. For that, I'm willing to give up my life. Shiemi didn't need to know, she would have told you and it would have hindered the mission's success." Yukio said in his robotic voice.

"Try to understand, Rin, none of us wanted this." Ryuji said.

"You're all just like Satan told me… you're all the same. I should have listened to my father when I had the chance. Look where playing the good guy got me." Rin said in an angry tone, his fingers tightening around the sword as he turned and walked backwards towards his father's throne.

"Rin, wait…" Shiemi squeaked out, but Rin wasn't listening to her, at least not in that moment. Taking a seat on the golden throne, Rin's ears elongated into their elf-like fashion, his flames burst from his body coating him in a blue aura as his attire changed as well. His black coat was replace with a traditional black yukata, and he examined his clawed hand, turning it around and smiling to himself.

"This is where I belong. Where I've always belonged. The successor to the throne." Rin said, looking back at his friends.

"I'm done being a tool used only to further humanity. Today marks the beginning of a new era, the beginning of my kingdom. I give you all a choice, as you were once whom I called my friends. Join me, or stand against me." Rin said, getting to his feet and drawing his own sword.

"Rin, you're making a mistake!" Yukio shouted.

"Silence, brother, you have heard my request. What will it be, all of you?" Rin replied.

"As your friends, it's our job to bring you down!" Shura shouted, drawing her own sword from the marking on her body.

"So be it. Before we battle, Shiemi, Izumo, come here. Surely you two will be staying, won't you?" Rin asked, as the two girls looked at each other.

"I…" Izumo started, her voice faltering and words failing to come.

"I've seen into both of your hearts, and even though you knew of my fate, you still wanted to protest, Izumo, but you felt that one person couldn't make a difference. I'll forgive you for that. Shiemi, you were unaware, and if you did know, you would have told me as soon as possible. Live with me here, in Gehenna." Rin offered, extending a hand to the both of them.

"They aren't going anywhere." Shura said, stepping between them. "They're my students, and they do as I say."

"I won't let you put them in danger any longer. If you take them now, I will have war." Rin said.

"Then war you'll have." Shura said, slamming the hilt of her sword against the ground and sending a cloud of smoke throughout the throne room as she grabbed Shiemi and Izumo's hands and ran down the hall.

"Come on!" Shura shouted, as her students fell in closely behind her.

"Demons of Gehenna! I am your new king, the son of Satan and the successor to my father! Do not let them escape! Don't hurt the girls!" Rin shouted, as the hordes of confused demons piled out the doors to chase them down.

"Everyone, this way!" Yukio shouted, shooting the hinges off of a door that led to the outside with his gun and waving the group forward.

"But, what about Rin?!" Shiemi shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"He's made his decision, you aren't safe here anymore. Come on, we need to get back to the gate we entered from." Yukio replied, grabbing her arm and leading her out the door.

**End of Flashback **

Rubbing her eyes with her sleeve and resolving to not think about her best friend until later that night, she went to work with her familiar, Nii-chan on treating their patient. Once they had done all they could, she moved onto the next wounded exorcist after the next until all of today's wounded had been healed to the best of their abilities.

"Alright, that's the last of them! Nurses may return to their tents until further notice." the supervisor shouted, and Shiemi washed off her bloody hands and returned to her tent to lie down. Hitting the bottom bunk with a _thump_, Paku slowly shuffled in a few moments after her and climbed onto the bed above her.

"Man, there's no shortage of wounded. I hope this war ends soon." Paku mumbled, and Shiemi replied,

"Yeah, I do too..."

"He hasn't contacted you recently, has he? I know he sent you a letter a few weeks ago." Paku said, and Shiemi gasped.

"How did you know about that?!" she said in surprise, but Paku merely shook her head.

"I could hear you crying in the middle of the night and reading it aloud." she said, and Shiemi just sighed and didn't say anything.

"You know, even if we are at war, he definitely cares about you. Izumo as well." Paku said, looking up at the ceiling of their tiny tent.

"What makes you think that..." Shiemi said, but Paku waved her off quickly.

"I mean, he sends you letters, leaves you tiny gifts that _might _be from him but you never know, and have you ever been injured on the frontlines?" Paku asked, and Shiemi shook her head.

"Of course you haven't, I'm sure you're aware he's ordered that you be captured unharmed, same with Izumo." Paku said.

Shiemi pondered her friend's words for a moment. In the three or so months they had been at war, Rin had sent her several letters, and just a week or so ago, had left her a beautiful bracelet encrusted with diamonds and all sorts of expensive jewels that glimmered in the sunlight. She actually happened to be wearing that same bracelet right now, but had it hidden under her sleeve to prevent any sort of suspicion arising.

"You know, Shiemi, I'm sure you and Izumo could convince him to end the war. Don't you think so?" Paku asked.

"Well, maybe. Still, that doesn't bring back anyone that we've lost." Shiemi replied.

"True, but I figure it's best to end it now when it's just getting started before it gets really ugly. The demons have only been attacking the borders that the Vatican has set up, but everyone knows Rin is holding back the true strength of his armies for one reason or another. Even if he is the King of Gehenna, he still has a fondness for human life, and he's not nearly as cruel as his predecessor. I've even heard that it's been ordered amongst the demon army that if the demons got past the border, the citizens of nearby towns were to be rounded up and given proper care instead of having their towns pillaged and burned to the ground. Rin isn't fighting this war to exterminate humans, he's fighting to get you two back." Paku said, leaning over her bunk to look directly at Shiemi, who was absentmindedly fiddling with her bracelet.

"Shiemi, are you even listening?" Paku asked, and Shiemi replied,

"Yeah... I just don't like thinking about Rin, that's all." she said.

"What? He loves you, he's fighting a war for you and all you have to say is that you 'don't like thinking about him?'" Paku asked in an irritated tone.

"I don't like thinking of my best friend as a villian! Even if he is fighting a war on my behalf, or Izumo's behalf, what makes you think I support him? He's murdering hundreds of exorcists every day, and because it's in my name, I'm supposed to act all enchanted by that? If that's his display of affection, it's sickening!" Shiemi shouted back, and Paku shrunk back into her bunk.

"... Sorry, Shiemi. I didn't think of it like that." she mumbled.

"It's okay, Paku, I know you didn't mean anything by it. It's just... I want the old Rin back. That's all I want." she said, reaching under her bed and feeling for the letter she had hidden inside her mattress. Pulling it out and unfolding the tear-stained page, she read it for what seemed like the millionth time in her head:

_Shiemi,_

_Sorry it's been a while since I wrote to you, I've been swamped in responsibilities as of late. _

_It's awfully lonely in Gehenna, I've made a few friends but demons here aren't as pleasurable to talk to as the ones in Assiah. _

_I'll be sending Kuro with a gift in around a week's time, but try not to hold your breath, as it is hard for me to send him on long trips to your camp. I need him for company too. _

_I hate fighting this war, believe me, I wish our kingdoms could coexist in peace, I really do. _

_I've started my own garden today, it's not much but for Gehenna it's probably the prettiest thing for miles. Only thing that it's missing is you. _

_If you ever need to talk, go find the tallest tree in the forest near your camp, you know, the one with the robin's nest in it? I'll be there every day at sundown. _

_I love you, Shiemi. Please stay safe. _

_-Rin _

Clenching the dirty piece of parchment in her hand, she shoved it back under her bed and began crying into her pillow again for her daily sobbing session. Hopping back down onto the ground from the top bunk, Paku comforted her friend as she cried heavily into her pillow, telling her that it was going to be alright when Shiemi knew it wasn't. As badly as she wanted to go to the forest at sundown and confront her friend, she wasn't one-hundred percent sure of Rin's true intentions. Would he actually end the war in exchange for her and Izumo? Is he as kind of a king as people claim he is? What will my life be like in Gehenna, which at first glance and having been there herself, didn't seem like a pleasant existence. She also knew that humans don't age in Gehenna, and unless Rin killed her, she's essentially stuck there forever.

However, she still _needed to know. _She needed to know whether Rin was a man of his word, and that he would stop this war as soon as possible. So, Shiemi waited until the sun began to set over the hills and the natural lights outside began to dim before she set off for the forest. Paku had fallen asleep shortly beforehand, much to Shiemi's relief. She didn't need to know where she was going, she worried enough as is. Checking to make sure no guards were looking her way, she set off into the forest and followed Rin's instructions, looking for the largest tree in the forest. Spotting a bright blue flower on the ground that glowed under the moonlight, she knew that she was getting close. Hearing the chirps of a robin, she spun her head around to see Rin sitting on a tree branch, looking away from her and off into the distance, which glowed brightly from explosions and fires of distant battles. He wore his same yukata that she had seen him wearing many months ago when they had been together in person, but he wore a simple gold crown on his head which she noticed was imbedded with sapphires that glowed softly in the darkness.

"Rin!" she shouted, and he instantly spun his head around to meet her gaze as his face lit up with excitement like a dog seeing it's master after a long period of time.

"Shiemi!" he shouted back, hopping off the branch and running over to her and pulling her into a tight hug, spinning her around in a circle as he laughed in between the mutual tears of happiness.

"I'm so glad I got to see you again. I'm sorry for getting you all caught up in my stupid wars." he said, apologetically, rubbing the back of her head softly as she held onto Rin for dear life.

"Dummy, why'd you have to go and run away from everyone..." she said quietly, sobbing into his yukata.

"I'm sorry for leaving you behind, I feel terrible for all the grief I've caused you the past few months." he replied.

"Won't you just end it now, Rin? Why go to such lengths for me and Izumo?" she asked, removing her head from his chest and looking up into his fiery blue eyes.

"True, I'd cross the world on foot to make you mine and Izumo is the only other person besides you that I can wholeheartedly call my friend, but being the king for the past couple months has given me a new perspective on the world. That's why I want you to be the one to help me, Shiemi, help me change the world for the better. As _Yukio _might have said, for the greater good." he said, and Shiemi noticed the particular venom in his voice when he brought up his brother.

"What do you mean? How could we possibly change the world for the better? We're just a couple of dumb kids!" she said, crossing her arms at her chest.

"Come on, instead of plaguing the world with violence and future wars between humans and demons, wouldn't it be better to... I don't know, coexist?" Rin said, and Shiemi uncrossed her arms and looked at him funny.

"Coexist? Come on Rin, even you know that's being idealistic. Demons and humans have been at war since the beginning of Satan's rule, what makes you think that we can suddenly drop all of that and act all buddy-buddy?" Shiemi said, getting a little annoyed at her friend.

"I know how it sounds, and it might seem unlikely and even impossible, but I have faith that we can compromise somewhere. The problem is that humans and demons alike are taught to hate eachother from birth, exorcists literally dedicate themselves to killing demons. How do you think demons respond to that kind of treatment?" Rin asked her.

"Probably not too kindly." she replied.

"Exactly. As you've witnessed with your own eyes, not all demons carry the same malevolence and destructive tendencies as others. Even the ones that are violent or destructive are only that way because they're conditioned to think like that. Under my new rule and the Vatican's authority, we can create a partnership between man and demon, forever changing our relationships as living creatures, both before and after death." Rin said, turning to face the distant moon which shone down on the two with it's bright and ominous light.

"Okay, okay... let's say that your idea isn't too crazy, and I agree to help you, where do we even start? We're _at war. _Demons and humans alike are out there killing each other all because you told them to, why would the Vatican listen to you?" she asked.

"You're right, Shiemi. The Vatican surely won't listen to me, they're much too stubborn and rely on the old world way of thinking. That's where you and Izumo come in. You two will be the harbingers of peace and the humans that united the two warring kingdoms and brought a new peace to the world that has never been achieved. Then, we can finally be together." Rin said, turning back around and taking her hand in his. It was very warm, and it felt marvellous on a frigid and cold night like this one.

"You know, if you asked me to come back with you, I wouldn't refuse. We could be together for the rest of eternity, in Gehenna." she said quietly, pulling her scarf up to cover her rosy cheeks.

"Yeah, we could. However, that would make me as greedy as my father and as selfish as the Vatican. I want to be together with you in a free world, a world devoid of prejudice against race and a world where both the yin and yang can exist in perfect harmony. That's the future with you that I desire, Shiemi." Rin said, looking deeply into her eyes.

"You've really changed, Rin... I didn't think I would ever hear you say something so selfless." Shiemi said honestly, and Rin nodded in reply.

"Being a king can be a burden, but it's opened my eyes, and that's a good thing. I don't desire to rule a kingdom of bloodthirsty creatures from Hell, I want a true balance and peace that lasts as long as I remain King, with you as my Queen." Rin said, taking his hand and putting it on her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her deeply. Shiemi had to stand on her tiptoes to reach his lips, but he held her tightly as they both released their pent up desires and angst in that one moment. Rin tasted intoxicating to her, like the ashes of a fire that made her mouth dry but quenched her thirst at the same time. Pulling apart and leaning against her forehead, Rin smiled at her and brushed a strand of hair from her face, suddenly taking his tail and tickling her nose with the tuft of fur at the end of it like he had done so many times in the past, causing her to giggle like a schoolgirl.

"I wanted to give you this a couple days ago, with it being your birthday and all, but you know I can get busy sometimes. Sorry." he said, pulling out a tiny box from nowhere and holding it in the palm of his hand for her to take.

"Oh, thank you so much, Rin!" she said, taking the box from his hand and removing the ribbon tied around the little box. Opening it, she pulled out a small hair ornament in the shape of a pretty blue flower which, like Rin's crown, glowed softly in the darkness.

"A hair ornament?" she asked. Not that she was ungrateful by any means, but it seemed like an odd gift for Rin to give her, of all people.

"Well, I know you have to keep stuff like this inconspicuous, but I thought it was something you could play off without getting too many questions about where you got it. Besides, it's not just any old hair ornament, I've enchanted it with my flames so that you can always feel the warmth of my fire, no matter where you are. Plus, it's got a couple of other functions, but I'll let you figure those out on your own. It's more fun that way." he said, flashing his boyish grin at her.

_It's strange, he's matured so much in just a few months, but his smile never ages, _she thought.

"Thank you so much, Rin. I... I love you." she squeaked out, and Rin smiled back at her.

"I love you too, Shiemi. Don't ever forget that." he said, giving her one last hug before he left for Gehenna.

"Wait, Rin, where is Izumo? How do I get to her?" Shiemi called after him, and he stopped and half turned around, saying,

"That's all for you to figure out on your own, Shiemi. This is your journey, not mine. If you're gonna be a Queen, you gotta learn to be resourceful. See ya later!" Rin said, but before Shiemi could protest his departure, he disappeared into a cloud of blue smoke, leaving behind the faint smell of ashes.

"Jeez, he never did like to do things the easy way..." Shiemi said with a pout, but she couldn't help the grin that crept onto her face as she looked down at her new birthday present. _"I love you too, Shiemi. Don't ever forget that." _The words echoed in her head over and over again, she honestly didn't believe Rin would ever return her feelings or even say that he loved her in the first place. Knowing that she held a special place in his heart made her feel warm and fuzzy, and she placed the radiant blue hair ornament on the side of her head. She didn't think that blue would clash well with her blonde hair, but upon further inspection of her reflection in the screen of her phone, she quite liked the new look.

Creeping back to her tent from the forest, she surprisingly made it back into camp undetected, tiptoeing into her bed underneath a sleeping Paku. Removing her precious hair ornament, she placed it under the bed with her letters and other gifts from Rin as she sighed and rolled over to face the wall of the tent.

_You're just as crazy as ever Rin. Only you could come up with such a plan, demons and humans coexisting. Still, it would be nice if everyone could just get along... _she thought.

Was his idea really that outrageous? Although Shiemi figured both sides wouldn't cooperate at first, she couldn't ignore how confident Rin was in his own words. He _really _believed such a reality was possible. He was a little young to be a king of anything in her opinion, but Rin could really manipulate people's hearts when he wanted to. Even if the war had taken a toll on all exorcists fighting in it, she still wouldn't have wished any other alternative. Had Rin not stepped up to rule over Gehenna and keep the demons under control, there's no telling what could have happened to him or Yukio, and the demons were sure to launch a counter attack on the humans at some point.

Yukio popping up in her head, Shiemi realised she hadn't spoken to him since before the war started. While they were friends and remained as such, she loved Rin and only Rin, and Yukio's actions as of late greatly displeased her. He hadn't bothered to stay in touch or even write to her while they operated from separate camps along the border, and the last time they _had _spoken in person, he acted cold and distant. Shiemi was no mind reader, but she figured Yukio blamed himself for forcing Rin into his current situation, and effectively, causing a war in the first place. While Shiemi at least _thought _Yukio still cared for his brother, she had to admit that she found it disgusting she would have kept their joint execution a secret from him. The Vatican really did use Rin like a tool, not stopping for a second to consider his feelings or that he was human in the slightest.

With her other friends, keeping contact wasn't avoided but more unable than anything. They hadn't been informed of where they had all been shipped off to, and her friend Paku just happened to end up in her camp, which was one among dozens. What were the odds? She did dearly miss Izumo, and even her other friends a little bit, but like Izumo, she had no idea where they were stationed.

_Couldn't I just ask Rin? I mean, he's the King of Gehenna, I'm sure he has eyes everywhere, right? _she thought. _Rin did say the hair ornament had a number of different features. _

Pulling it back out from under her mattress, she fiddled with her hair ornament, trying to get it to do something. Giving up after a few minutes when she pricked her finger on the sharp edge of the glass blue rose and her blood trickling onto the ornament, she returned it to it's previous place under the mattress and laid her head down on the pillow. _I'll figure it out tomorrow, _she resolved, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

**The Next Morning...**

"Shiemi, Shiemi, Shiemi, please please _please __wake up!" _Paku whispered frantically, shaking her repeatedly until she stirred from her slumber.

"Paku, what is it..." she mumbled, irritated and sleepy.

"Your _tail. You have a... tail." _Paku said in an urgent tone, and she jolted awake and sat up at the speed of sound, turning her head to face her backside and sure enough, she had a black tail with a poof of fur at the end, just like Rin.

_Oh no. _

**Well, what did you guys think? I'd love to hear what you liked or disliked about the story, I'm really looking forward to continuing this story and I hope you're all eager to keep reading! Cheers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello again everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, I know that I had a really fun time writing it. If you have any questions or comments, leave a review or please PM me, I'm always happy to talk to anybody that likes any of my stories. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 2: Half-Demon**

Shiemi was at a loss for words, frantically waving her arms in some sort of motion that would hopefully get across the notion that she had no idea why she had a tail.

"Where did you get that?!" Paku asked in a hushed tone, poking her tail to see if it was real.

"How should I know? I didn't have this last night!" she replied.

"Well, it would _seem _that you turned into a half-demon overnight then, because I can't find any other explanation as to why you would have a tail like his." Paku said.

"But that doesn't even make sense, I'm completely human! I don't have a drop of demon blood in me!" Shiemi shouted back.

"Did Rin do something to you?" Paku asked, and Shiemi went red and shook her head furiously.

"No no no, we didn't do anything. He _did _give me this, though." she said, pulling out her hair ornament from underneath her bed and handing it to Paku. At first, Paku was in awe at how pretty and well crafted it was, but her smile faded and she pointed to a tiny stain on one of the leaves.

"Shiemi, is this blood?" she asked, and she nodded in reply.

"Yeah, I pricked my fing-" she began, stopping herself mid-sentence as she realised what Paku was implying. "You don't think..."

"Doesn't it _look _that way?" Paku asked.

"I mean, it's just a _tail_, it's not like I have the pointy ears or anything..." she said, brushing her hair to the side and revealing, yes, Rin's same pointy demon ears.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me, Rin." Shiemi said with a sigh.

"Maybe it's not what you want to hear, but you're definitely like _the _demon couple now. It's kind of cute." Paku said with a giggle, and Shiemi shot her back an annoyed glance.

"Well, look at it this way. Rin was able to hide being half-demon for years, I'm sure you can too. Just cover up your ears and wrap your tail around your stomach. Nobody will ever know, unless they ask you to take a bath in holy water or something." Paku said reassuringly.

"I guess I'll just do that then. Listen, Paku, there's something I need to talk to you about." Shiemi said, as Paku took a seat next to her on the bottom bunk.

"What is it?" she asked, and Shiemi looked at the wall of the tent for a moment before continuing.

"I met Rin in the forest last night. He's changed since we've last seen him, Paku. He's selfless, even kinder than ever, and he has a _plan, _Paku. Rin wants to bring peace to the kingdoms of Gehenna and Assiah, and _coexist _in Assiah." Shiemi said, and Paku surprisingly didn't laugh, but looked more confused than anything.

"It's a little far fetched, but he can probably do it. What does all that have to do with you?" she asked her.

"I... I want to help him. I offered to return to Gehenna with him, but he declined. He said that he wanted to be together with me in a free world, a world that Izumo and I have to create. Please, Paku, do you have any idea how to get into contact with Izumo?" Shiemi begged, her tail wagging back and forth.

"Sorry, Shiemi, I haven't heard from Izumo either, and I've no idea where she's stationed. Unless..." Paku began, her voice trailing off.

"Unless _what?" _Shiemi asked excitedly.

"Well, I heard that the supervisor keeps records of all the incoming recruits for each camp, if you got a hold of that list, you'd probably be able to figure out where everyone is." Paku said.

"Well, sorry Paku, but I can't just magically make myself invisible and sneak into the supervisor's tent and steal her papers." Shiemi said exasperatedly, throwing her hands up into the air.

"Why don't you ever ask Rin for help in situations like these?" Paku asked.

"He says I should do this mostly on my own. He thinks it'll make me a good Queen in the future." Shiemi said, and Paku gasped.

"Ooooh, he offered to make you his Queen? That's so cute!" she squealed, and Shiemi couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it too, but for now, I have to do my part. So, how am I gonna get the list?" Shiemi asked her.

"You mean how are _we _going to get the list, Shiemi. If you're going on some grand old adventure to bring peace to the world, I'm coming with you." Paku insisted.

"No, you can't, Paku. This is something I need to do alone, or at the very least, just Izumo and I." Shiemi replied.

"We've been friends for a long time, Shiemi, and I can't just let my only tentmate handle such a big responsibility by herself. I'm coming with you, that's final." Paku said, leaving no room for disagreement.

"Ugh... fine. How are _we _going to get the paper?" Shiemi said, emphasising the 'we'.

"I don't know yet, we'll figure something... hey, is that... Kuro?!" Paku exclaimed, pointing out of the entrance of their tent and off towards the forest that wasn't too far from their tent. Poking her head out the flap of the tent, Shiemi did notice the familiar wagging of two separate tails sticking out of the bushes, waving back and forth while a pair of yellow eyes peeked out of the shrubbery.

"Kuro!" Shiemi quietly shouted, waving him forwards with her hand as he grinned and leapt back into the dense forest to work his way around to the two girls without being seen by the other early birds of the camp. After about a minute, Kuro returned, this time having worked his way around to their side of the camp from the forest as he crept into their tent. He was larger than the last time Shiemi had seen him, almost the size of a small tiger and carrying a package on his back.

"Shiemi!" Kuro exclaimed, pouncing on her and licking her affectionately with his large tongue.

"Hello Kuro, it's good to see you too." Shiemi said, scratching behind his ears.

"Shiemi, can you hear me too?" Kuro asked in disbelief, and she nodded and flashed her tail to him.

"Oh, wow! When Rin told me he wasn't sure if the hair ornament would turn you into a demon or not, but I'm sure he'll be so proud of you!" Kuro shouted happily.

"Oh, so Rin had an idea this would happen? Go figure." she said exasperatedly.

"I'm sorry if you didn't want this to happen, Shiemi, but I don't think Rin would have made something like this possible if he didn't think you would like it. You're all he talks about after all." Kuro said.

"All he talks about, huh... never mind that, what's that package there, Kuro?" she asked, pointing to the long and brown paper box strapped to his back.

"Rin said it was important that I give these to you, he said it would help you along your way. There's something for Izumo too, but he said not to open that until you two met." Kuro replied, bending down and allowing Shiemi to remove the parcel on his back.

Removing the straps and unwrapping the package, she pulled out a long black case, attached with another letter from Rin. Before opening the case, she read the letter aloud to everyone present:

_"Shiemi, _

_Sorry about the surprise this morning, to be honest I wasn't expecting you to change so quickly, I probably should have mentioned that my blood and my fire are practically one in the same, which explains why you're half-demon now. _

_For the duration of your journey, I'll be having Kuro accompany you lot. Tell him not to return until you've completed your mission. _

_If you haven't already opened the case, it contains a sword that I've hand-crafted for you. I understand how you probably feel about it, and you can discard it if you choose to do so, but it's important to not have to rely on your familiar in battle. Since we now share blood, the sword functions similarly to my own, in that it's essentially a small portal to Gehenna. Unsheathing it will release your flames, so be careful who's present when you choose to draw it. _

_When you inevitably leave to find Izumo, you'll be considered a deserter, and become a target by both exorcists and demons alike. Even though I command my own armies with an iron will and none of my soldiers will harm you, I cannot say the same for all demons in Assiah. There are plenty of demons that still do not acknowledge my authority, so please do be careful. _

_Know that while I do want you to be able to handle life-threatening situations on your own, and I think it's important you become more adept in combat, I won't allow you to die, not while I remain as King. Still, do your best to learn to wield the sword, and steel your heart, Shiemi. You're much stronger than you think. _

_I cannot always promise to protect you every moment of the day, but should you find yourself in the gravest of danger, draw your own blood and coat your hair ornament in it. If I am unavailable, one of my subordinates, or brothers, will come to your aid. (Most of them are busy fighting but Egyn and Iblis should usually be available.) Egyn should remind you a lot of myself but Iblis can be a bit 'cranky' at times, so just hope that Egyn appears should you need to summon either of them. _

_Once you meet up with Izumo, I'll meet you again in person to discuss the details of our plan. Until then, I love you Shiemi. Good luck! _

_-Rin" _she said, finishing reading the letter aloud.

"Yay, I get to come with you on your adventure, Shiemi!" Kuro exclaimed.

"Who are Egyn and Iblis?" Shiemi asked.

"Rin's older brothers! I've met them myself before, at one of Rin's war councils." Kuro replied.

"What are they like?" Shiemi asked.

"Well, Egyn is a nice demon, but he's a little over the top sometimes, and Iblis can go either ways. You don't wanna make Iblis mad." Kuro said with a shudder.

"I just thought of something, shouldn't Rin be one of the eight, or nine I suppose, Demon Kings now?" Paku asked Shiemi.

"I don't know, is he Kuro?" Shiemi asked.

"Well, since Rin is the ruler of Gehenna, he's the God of Demons now. You can't really call him a demon any more. He's on his own level." Kuro said.

"God of Demons... but Rin isn't a god, right?" Shiemi asked, still quite confused.

"If you want to get really technical about it, no, but his power is akin to that of a god. Those that don't refer to Rin as the God of Demons call him the Blue Rose, but that's more of an unofficial term." Kuro replied.

"Rin doesn't seem like the type of man that would condone being addressed as a flower." Shiemi said with a giggle.

"Eh, he prefers King Rin anyways. So, what's our next step Shiemi?" Kuro asked excitedly.

"Well, I was telling Paku that I can't exactly just sneak into her tent and grab something so important. Do you have any ideas, Kuro?" Shiemi said.

"I can steal it for you! Just tell me what you're looking for, Shiemi, and I'll find it!" Kuro said excitedly.

"Really? Well, I suppose it's just a simple sheet of paper with the names of each camp's incoming recruits, but I don't know where to go about looking for it inside the supervisor's tent." Shiemi said, scratching her head.

"Don't worry, Shiemi, I'll find it! In the meantime, practice using that sword you got from Rin, but go in the forest first. Those flames of yours are sure to attract attention." Kuro replied.

"Is that really a good idea? Why don't we just wait here, and then when you get the list, we can leave?" Shiemi asked.

"Well, do whatever you want while we wait for nightfall. You can practice anytime, but I'm not much use in a fight and unless I'm mistaken, your friend can't even use any skills or weapons, right? We're going to be counting on you to be our main fighter, Shiemi." Kuro said, eyeing her sword.

"Main fighter… but we won't be fighting anybody anytime soon, right?" she asked nervously. While Shiemi wasn't too scared to wield a sword, killing another human for no reason was outside her comfort zone.

"I've no idea, but it's better to be prepared. On second thought, just lay low and act as you normally do. I'll wait in the forest until it gets dark, and then I'll wait for the right opportunity to steal the list. Take care, Shiemi!" Kuro said enthusiastically as he leapt out of their tent and off into the forest behind their tent.

"Okay, I have no idea what you two were just talking about, so fill me in Shiemi." Paku said, sitting down on the bottom bunk. Smiling at her, Shiemi sat down as well and gave her the run down.

**Many hours later…**

Shiemi drummed her fingers against her journal that rested on her lap as she finally set the book down and stretched. Night had fallen, and it was time to commence the operation to steal the list.

Poking her head out of the tent and surveying the campgrounds, she saw the usual mess of exorcists that weren't injured huddling among different crowds chatting and generally having a good time. It was the beginning of dinner time, and everyone in camp had began to crowd around the food line to get their hot meal. Looking over to the supervisor's tent, Shiemi saw a light from a lantern as well as shadows moving about inside.

_So the supervisor's still in her tent. How am I going to get her out?_ Shiemi thought. _What would Rin do?_

Probably destroy the camp. Okay, what wouldn't Rin do?

Thinking of Rin immediately brought up his love for cooking, and Shiemi had a stroke of brilliance in that moment. Hurrying over to the back of the food line that was away from watchful eyes, she approached the cook preparing the next pot of stew and said,

"Excuse me, my name is Shiemi Moriyama and I'm on punishment tonight, so please allow me to serve food to all the exorcists here in your place."

"Is that so? I haven't heard of any such thing." the chef said suspiciously.

"Between you and me, this was a direct order from the supervisor. Wouldn't it be best if you just enjoy your night off? I'm sure you've earned it." Shiemi said with a sly grin.

"Well, if it's a direct order from the supervisor, I wouldn't want to cause her any trouble. Thanks Miss." the chef said, removing his apron and hat and handing them to her before returning to his tent.

_All right, now for the next step of my plan,_ Shiemi thought.

Summoning her familiar, she asked,

"Nii-chan, can you prepare some butterfly weed?"

Squeaking in reply, the Greenman grew a long patch of butterfly weed from it's chest as Shiemi thanked it and removed the plant and turned it around in her hand. Ripping it up and then scattering it inside of the stew, Shiemi grinned at her cunning idea as she put on her apron and hat and picked up the pot and carried it out to the centre of camp, where food was being served.

"Great, now we can finally eat!" one exorcist shouted as Shiemi just smiled her devilish grin and began doling out portions of her tainted stew.

_With this amount of butterfly weed in their stew, it's sure to make everyone that eats it sick to their stomach. Less destructive than what Rin would have done, but all the more effective,_ Shiemi thought to herself as she handed out the last bowl of stew. Hurrying back to the makeshift kitchen across camp, she removed her uniform and scurried back to her tent to watch the fireworks.

The butterfly weed inside of the stew might have been a little too much, because only a minute after the exorcists began hungrily wolfing down their food, they began to vomit profusely, making a mess all over themselves and their friends.

"Someone get the supervisor!" she heard one man yell, and she saw the supervisor finally exit her tent to come inspect the situation. She didn't even need to tell Kuro that it was time to go, because by the time she had turned her head to the forest, Kuro was already rocketing out of the bushes and bounding into her tent. Sighing in relief, she began hurriedly packing her bag of clothing, while Paku had already prepared and lay on the top bunk prepared to leave at a moment's notice.

"Is Kuro already inside?" Paku asked her, poking her head over the bed.

"Yes, now we just have to hope that he finds it quick enough." Shiemi replied, not taking her eyes off the disgusting scene in front of her.

The grounds of the camp had become a sea of sick, people blowing chunks everywhere as the camp nurses and the supervisor tried to determine what in the hell was going on. Scampering back out of the tent and into hers, Kuro carried the treasured list in his mouth with a proud look in his eyes.

"Good job, Kuro!" Shiemi said, praising her/Rin's familiar and petting his head.

"Shiemi, we should go before people come looking for you." Paku said urgently, and Shiemi nodded and unfolded the paper and read the list:

**Camp 23:**

**Okumura, Yukio**

**Suguro, Ryuji**

**Kamiki, Izumo**

"That's it, Camp 23! Let's see… that's in… wow, that's like, fifty miles from here!" Shiemi exclaimed as she put the list in her bag and slung her sword over her back.

"Closer than I expected. Which way do we go?" Paku asked.

Peeking her head out of the tent and looking up at the night sky, she looked for the constellation that should reveal which direction they needed to head.

"East." Shiemi said, which was conveniently the direction that led through the forest.

"Someone get Morayima and Noriko!" they heard a man call as someone rushed into the entrance of their tent as his jaw dropped at the sight of a demon the size of a tiger inside of their tent.

Swiftly knocking him over the head with his paw, Kuro knocked the man unconscious as he flew about ten yards backwards into the centre of camp, attracting the attention of everyone else.

"Demon! They're working with a demon!" one of the exorcists called as they all took up arms.

"Shiemi, follow me!" Kuro shouted as he shot off towards the forest and left her and Paku in the dust.

"Paku, run!" Shiemi shouted as she grabbed her friend's hand and rocketed off into the bushes behind them.

"Kill them!" they heard the supervisor shout as a hail of bullets came whizzing in their direction, one or two catching Shiemi in the shoulder as she yelped in pain but continued to sprint through the forest. At the rate they were gaining on the two girls, the exorcists would quickly overpower them. Knowing that this was a kill or be killed situation, Shiemi drew her sword from the sheathe on her back, her blue flames erupting from her body in a brilliant blue flash of light as she slashed at the air with her jet-black katana, sending a wave of fire at the oncoming exorcists and setting a large portion of the forest on fire as she turned around to continue sprinting away.

Reaching the edge of the wooded area that had gone up in flames, the two girls finally reunited with Kuro as they panted and breathes heavily as they knelt over and got their bearings.

"That was great, Shiemi! You should've just done that in the first place." Kuro exclaimed.

"Well, I just _adore_ destroying nature and killing people as much as the next girl, but…" she replied sarcastically.

"I get it, I get it. Anyways, we should get going. Once we make it to a safe area, we can rest for the night." Kuro said, walking at a slow pace as he hobbled slightly on three legs.

"Kuro, you're hurt!" Shiemi exclaimed, laying him on his back and examining his leg. It was bleeding heavily, and she guessed a bullet had snagged him on his way out of the forest.

"Don't worry about me, Shiemi, I'll be fine…" Kuro protested, but Shiemi insisted on taking a few minutes to treat it properly. Bandaging his leg and having removed the bullet and treated his wound with disinfectant, she allowed Kuro to get to his feet and continue walking. Scratching her head idly, she felt like she was missing something important. Patting all around her blonde hair, she gasped loudly as she began to sob.

"Shiemi, what's wrong?" Paku asked.

"My hair ornament… it's gone." she said between tears.

"You mean this one?" Paku asked, pulling her blue rose out of her bag and holding it in her outstretched hand.

"Paku! Thank you so much!" Shiemi cried, taking her ornament and properly placing it back in it's usual spot. "Where did you find this?"

"It fell off your head when we were running. I almost got shot picking it up, but it was worth it." she said warmly.

"Paku…" Shiemi sobbed, pulling her friend into a tight hug, "thank you. I don't know how I can possibly repay you."

"Well, you can start by walking fast. I wanna get to sleep." Paku said, waving her forwards to follow Kuro's lead.

"Right!" Shiemi shouted, hurriedly following behind her friend.

**Meanwhile in Gehenna…**

"Your girlfriend is quite something, Brother." a demon clad in black and blue garb said to Rin, who sat on his throne watching Shiemi, Paku and Kuro on a large screen from the viewpoint of a bat.

"I know, right? She's quite resourceful if I do say so myself." Rin replied with his trademark grin.

"Are you sure she is the right one to go about bringing the peace we so desire? Why not your own brother, Yukio?" the demon asked.

"Do not speak that traitor's name in my throne room, Egyn. Shiemi is the only one capable of such a feat." Rin snarled.

"If you say so, Brother. As good as your ideas may be, you still do realise that they are very much idealistic?" Egyn asked him.

"Yes, I do. Idealism is not the best way of thinking, especially in war time, but idealistic ideas are the only way to go in this situation. Oh, and Egyn?" Rin said, looking at his brother.

"Yes, Brother?" he replied.

"My human brother is at the same camp as the one they are all headed to, is he not?" Rin asked.

"Indeed, him and your ex-classmate, Ryuji Suguro." Egyn said.

"When their business is done there, bring them to me. I have much to say to the both of them. I think I shall mount their heads on my mantle, but I don't believe my Queen would appreciate the décor, no?" Rin asked with a smug grin.

"I should think not, Brother. If you so desire, you might want to ask Iblis to torture them for the rest of eternity?" Egyn suggested.

"Eh, that seems a little harsh, I am supposed to be a benevolent king, you know. No matter, just capture them both alive and you can take a vacation in Assiah." Rin said.

"Oh my, you really are too kind, Brother. But what of the girl, Izumo Kamiki?" Egyn asked.

"What of her?" Rin asked.

"What plan do you have for her? Surely you are confident enough in our future Queen and her company to succeed on their own?" Egyn asked curiously.

"Shiemi has much to learn about the world, and she can't handle it all on her own. Besides, Izumo is my friend, and I trust that she'll be useful to her." Rin answered.

"I am sure she will, Brother. What will you do about the large counter-attack being mounted by the Vatican as we speak? Should they break though to the Gate…" Egyn began, but Rin silenced him with his hand.

"I will deal with them myself." Rin said, getting to his feet and walking over to the centre of the room, shouting,

"Bring my armour!"

A moment later, a few demons hauling a rack of armour scurried into the room and left it to Rin, bowing before exiting the throne room. Equipping himself, Rin stood clad in a suit of pure gold samurai armour, complete with a menpō* and a large sapphire glimmering in the centre of his kabuto.

"I shall see to it that nothing breaches these Gates." Rin said, his fiery blue eyes burning behind his mask as he departed the throne room, leaving the smell of ash lingering in the air.

**menpō - ****is the term for various types of facial armour worn by the ****samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Welcome back everyone! Thanks for all the people who favourited and followed the story, and if you haven't done so already, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! It lets me know what people enjoy/don't enjoy seeing and what they would like to see in the future, as well as giving me criticism or compliments. Everyone's feedback is what keeps me writing, and if you enjoy reading, please let me know! If you have any questions or comments feel free to let me know, but otherwise, enjoy the third chapter! **

**Chapter 3: The Long Road Ahead **

"Shiemi... Shiemi, come on. It's time to get going." Paku called out to a half-asleep Shiemi, who was curled up in a ball on the grass. Shiemi instinctively tried to pull her covers over her head, but was hit with the painful realisation that they had only packed one blanket and she had given it to Paku the night before.

"Mmm... give me a minute." she replied groggily, getting up and rubbing her eyes before opening them and observing their surroundings.

The group had chosen to sleep amidst a tiny wooded area, surrounded by dense bushes and tall oak trees, which gave them perfect cover in the event that the exorcists from their camp had sent out a search party. Shiemi hadn't had the opportunity to do so last night since they were literally running for their lives, but the outdoors never seemed so clear and incredibly intoxicating to her before becoming a half-demon. Every previously unobserved detail and faint scent had become apparent to the young woman, and she relished in the natural breeze blowing through her blonde hair as she took in the full beauty of the woods around her.

"Shiemi, let's go!" Paku nagged, and Shiemi reluctantly sat up and got to her feet and dusted herself off. Checking to make sure she had all of Rin's gifts including her hair ornament, she grabbed her bag and declared she was finally ready to get going. Feeling the areas of her body where she had been shot the previous night, she was surprised to find that the wound had completely closed on it's own, probably due to a demon's naturally impressive healing skills.

"Fifty miles sounds a lot better in theory, but it'll take at least a day and a half to walk there on foot, unless Kuro has some demon pal that can fly." Paku stated, shooting a look at Shiemi to translate for her.

"Kuro, do you have any friends that can help us on our way faster?" Shiemi asked her familiar.

Shaking his head, Kuro replied,

"Nope, sorry Shiemi. I suppose I can give you both a ride on my back, though."

"Oh, well, that's even better! Are you sure you can carry the both of us?" Shiemi asked. She didn't want to overexert her friend.

"It would be an honour to allow the future Queen to ride on my back! I will ferry you two as fast as my legs can carry me." Kuro said with a mock salute with his paw.

Laughing at her familiar's sense of humour, she replied,

"Alright then. Paku, Kuro will carry us there."

"Works for me." Paku said, following Shiemi's lead and climbing onto Kuro's back.

"Let's go!" Shiemi shouted fiercely, as Kuro shouted "AYE!" and shot off into the distance.

**Meanwhile, at Camp 23, where Izumo and her classmates Yukio and Ryuji have been shipped off to... **

Izumo sat on top of the stone wall at the edge of camp, lackadaisically kicking her legs while they hung off the side. It had been months since the "war" had begun, and Izumo had never experienced anything as painfully boring in her entire life. She had only fought two battles in her long time she was stationed at Camp 23, and one of them couldn't even really be considered a real battle because it was just exorcists mopping up the half-dead remains of demons from their holy water artillery shells. Most of her days were spent avoiding doing any real work and observing the hustle and bustle of those who actually had responsibilities from the comfort of her little stone wall she always sat on.

"Feeling left out, dear?" a cordial male voice behind her said, and she spun around quickly to reveal a fairly tall blond haired man with shiny emerald eyes. However, there was something incredibly off-putting by the combination of the aura surrounding the man as well as his seemingly instantaneous appearance behind her. Hopping off the stone wall and down to the ground below, Izumo prepared for a fight as she drew her papers to summon her familiars when they suddenly dissolved in her hands.

"Now now, that's no way to go greeting someone, Miss. I only come bearing a message from my brother." the man said, falling down to her level as well.

"Wh- Who are you?!" she shouted, gritting her teeth at him.

"Lucifer, King of Light, at your service. If you may, Kamiki-san, take a seat." Lucifer said warmly, snapping his fingers and producing two armchairs, one of which he took a seat in.

"I'd prefer not to." she replied. She had her own doubts about Lucifer's true intentions anyways, and sitting down and speaking with him formally was out of the question.

"Well, so much for being polite. I'll cut right to the chase, since you clearly won't appreciate my company." Lucifer said, losing the warm tone in his voice and looking at her more coldly, "My brother has sent his girlfriend and her friend as well as his familiar, Kuro, on a journey to bring peace to both the realms of Assiah and Gehenna alike. Since my brother Rin is incapable of making negotiations, he has selected you and the girl Shiemi to be the pair that carries out his plans. They have already departed from their camp, and will most likely be here by sunset. You are to follow the girl's will as she sees fit, since she is to be crowned the next Queen of Gehenna when the war comes to a close." Lucifer stated, leaning back into his chair and allowing her to process this information.

"Hold on... nothing you're saying makes any sense whatsoever. Rin, bring peace to both kingdoms? It's impossible!" Izumo exclaimed.

"Indeed, I too doubt the success of my brother's wishes. However, I do not disobey nor question his intentions, as they are pure in a sense. He does not desire war nor continuing the age-old bloodshed between our two races, and seeks a compromise. I am inclined to help you, even though I would rather not, so I thought it would be easier to tell you personally than have you find out at all at once when the girl's group arrives." Lucifer replied, looking off into the distance at the forest.

"Anyways, what's this about Shiemi becoming a Queen or something? That's crazy, she's just a human, how could she be a Queen of anything, let alone the realm of demons?" Izumo questioned.

"Ah, well, I suppose I can't fault you for not knowing. Shiemi is no longer human, at least not fully. My brother has shared his blood with the girl, and she is now half-demon as well. Although it is odd to have not one but two half-demon rulers in Gehenna, I am sure our people will be overjoyed at the crowning of our very first Queen." Lucifer replied in a giddy tone, clapping his hands together.

Imagining her friend of such a long time as a form of royalty was enough to leave a bad taste in her mouth. To Izumo, Shiemi was barely fit to be an actual exorcist, let alone be tasked with the responsibility of assisting Rin, of all people, on running an entire _kingdom. _Not even Izumo doubted that Rin and Shiemi loved each other, but the thought of the two getting married was a little overwhelming to say the least.

"If Rin is as powerful and influential as he seems, why doesn't he just marry her right now? There's not much stopping him." Izumo questioned.

"Another good point, but my brother has decided that will have to wait until peace has been brought to our warring kingdoms. As I said earlier, our King is quite idealistic." Lucifer replied.

"If he has the ability to take Shiemi whenever he wants, what is even the point to all this fighting? Is it just the backdrop for some secret operation, carried out by three teenagers and a cat?!" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Quite the observational one, you are. Yes, I imagine it's something of the sort. You certainly cannot simply march up to the Vatican and demand that they agree to my brother's terms. No, you'll have to be a little more _covert _in your methods of diplomacy." Lucifer replied.

"What are you getting at?" Izumo asked.

"Well, for a compromise to be met, both sides need to hold a summit and come to an agreement. However, as I'm sure you've already figured, the Vatican is extremely stubborn and the thought of merely holding a conversation with a demon, let alone submitting to their will is completely out of the question. So, as your humble advisor, I would suggest a course of action that I believe to be the least problematic." Lucifer said.

"What would that be?" she asked.

"Steal something valuable of the Vatican's, turn it over to my brother, and use that as a tool for bartering with them. If it's an irreplaceable object or _person, _even, then they should agree to meeting with my brother to discuss his terms. It seems to be the most logical method of doing it in my opinion, but feel free to take your own course of action, my dear." Lucifer said with a smile.

"No, your idea is good. Only problem is that it requires us to _sneak into the Vatican._" Izumo said with a twitch in her eye.

"Ah, that's the fun part! You do have a point though, I do not know how you lot will go about doing something like that. I'm not allowed to help you too much in the first place, and I think I've said enough already. Is there anything else you need to know before I go?" he asked.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET ACROSS THE WORLD?!" Izumo shouted, shattering Lucifer's eardrums.

"Never any easy questions with you. Ask one of my other brothers, hell, ask Rin. He can probably fly." Lucifer replied, rubbing the side of his head.

"I thought you lot weren't supposed to help us." Izumo said.

"We aren't. I'm sure you'll figure something out. Take care." Lucifer added, bowing before disappearing in a flash of white light, leaving her alone once more.

**Meanwhile, the Vatican's frontline forces have driven the demons past the border and pinned them against a wall, trapping them near the Gehenna Gate where the demon armies receive and ship out their forces. Gaining control of said Gate would change the tide of the war in the Vatican's favour. **

"Forward! We've got them on the ropes!" the captain of the 301st Exorcist Infantry Division shouted, leading the charge of exorcists onwards as Knights clad in silver armour bearing the Vatican seal clashed with the demons head on. The clattering of swords and the banging of shields rung throughout the entire battlefield as the Exorcist forces cut down demon after demon, driving back Rin's army further and further until they were to the point of being within walking distance of the dark portal that led directly to Gehenna.

"We'll be overrun!" one demon shouted before getting it's head lopped off by a Knight.

Just when all hope seemed to be lost for the demons of Gehenna, a trumpet from the rear of the demon forces, causing both sides to cease fighting for a moment and look to the source of the noise. Parting like Moses and the Red Sea, the demons stood to the side as a man that looked to be at least eight or nine feet tall to the exorcists slowly walked to the front of the army, taking each and every man and demon's breath away. His armour glimmered like a fine jewel under the sunlight, and his mere presence held an immeasurable weight in the air. Looking up at the man's towering figure, they only saw the flickering blue light from inside of his menpō, some of them dropping their swords and other weapons in sheer terror.

"Bow to me. Bow to me and I will spare your lives." Rin commanded, his voice echoing throughout the entire battlefield like a loudspeaker.

"You will all do no such thing! We do not surrender so easily to such filth! For the Vatican!" one of the captains of the Vatican troops yelled, and the soldiers once again gained their resolve back as they assaulted Rin all at once, their swords clanging against his armour but leaving not a dent.

"Pathetic. Humans don't understand when to throw in the towel." Rin muttered with a sinister chuckle as he drew his jet-black katana, igniting his body in blue flame as he held his sword out at an arms length, firing a wave of blue fire ahead of him and incinerating hundreds of troops with one fell swoop.

"Kill them all!" Rin roared, as the demons on his flank beat their chests and screamed with excitement as they charged forward, cutting down the Vatican soldiers like they were nothing.

"For the glory of Gehenna! Hail King Rin!" the demons chanted as they drove the exorcists back further and further until the demons eventually reached one of the Vatican's forward bases.

"Burn it to the ground! Bring me each young exorcist here, but kill the rest!" Rin called to his forces, as they complied with his orders happily. Igniting the tents and hacking away at the fleeing humans, the demons rounded up each young looking face they came across, lining them up neatly for their king as they all lay on their knees.

"Demons of Gehenna, our work here today is done. You may all return to Gehenna for a week's rest, you have all earned it." Rin called, as the demons gratefully thanked their Master and marched south back towards the Gate.

Inspecting his prisoners by himself, the camp was quiet, save for the cackling of fire that still roared inside of the tents and the sobbing of the captured exorcists. There were around ten or so in all, and they looked Rin's age at least, or even younger. Removing his helmet and placing it on the ground, he got down to eye level with a girl who couldn't have been a day older than fourteen. Her hair was a mess, matted with blood and her clothes were tattered and dirty.

"What is your name, Miss?" Rin asked her. Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, she looked up at him and shakily replied,

"A-A- Ayumi."

"That's a very pretty name. My name is Rin, but I'm sure that didn't come as a surprise. I'm sorry I attacked your camp." Rin said with a comforting tone. "All of you, I'm not going to hurt you, so please don't be scared."

Getting to his feet and walking over to the next young face, a boy that looked about his age, Rin asked him,

"And what's your name?"

"Takeru. Rin-sama?" the boy asked with a nervous tone.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Why d-did you spare us? Why n-not spare everyone?" the boy asked, fighting back tears.

"Oh. Well, you see Takeru, I intend to change the world with this war we are all fighting right now. The older folks here are stuck in the old way of thinking, and that's just not the progressive mindset that I want from humans. You know, I was an exorcist once, just like all of you." Rin said, grinning down at the frightened group of teenagers.

"You were an exorcist? But you're a demon!" one of the other girls exclaimed.

"Half-demon, dear. There was a time I rejected my demonic heritage, but doing so only distances yourself from your true family. I can bet you all probably miss your families back home, don't you?" Rin asked them. Looking at each other, they all nodded their heads a moment later.

"I will take you all home, back to your families. To prove you were not deserters, I'll give you all something to hold onto, just in case." Rin said, taking out a notebook from the pouch on his hip and hurriedly writing something down as he tore it out and handed it to Ayumi. The group of teenagers crowding around her to see what he had written, they read aloud:

"The survivors of this camp have been spared and pardoned by King Rin. All further inquiries and complaints may be mailed directly to Gehenna."

"Um, Rin-sama, I don't think that this is how it works..." Ayumi said, sweat-dropping.

"Nonsense, that note is about as official as it can get. I'll arrange for you all to be taken home, so wait here until I can summon a wyvern to fly you all back to your home towns." Rin said, picking his helmet back up and putting it back on his head.

Turning to leave, Rin was stopped by the young girl Ayumi as she ran after him and grabbed his arm.

"T-Thank you, Rin-sama. You're a very nice man." she said, holding onto him tightly like a lost child.

Smiling down at her, he ruffled her hair affectionately and said,

"Take care, Ayumi. Keep struggling to live, and make an effort to treat all living beings with the same respect as you would expect from them, demon or human." Rin replied.

"Will we ever see you again?" she asked him, looking up at Rin with hopeful violet eyes.

"I hope so, Ayumi. I really do." Rin replied.

And with that, she let go of his arm as he waved goodbye to the distressed children and set off after his armies to return to Gehenna.

"He sure is something." one of the girls said, as Ayumi turned back to face them and nodded.

_For such a big, strong man, his touch was so gentle, _Ayumi thought as she felt the spot on her head where he had ruffled her hair and smiled.

**Back to Shiemi's Group... **

"We finally made it… Shiemi gasped, falling to her knees from sheer exhaustion.

Kuro could only maintain his strength for what felt like half of the journey, and he shrunk down to his normal size while he rested inside Shiemi's backpack as the two girls were forced to finish the remainder of their trip on foot.

"Are you positive that's it?" Paku asked, falling down next to her.

"Call it a demon's intuition, but I'm almost certain Izumo is there." Shiemi replied, pointing her finger at a camp that looked to be at least double the size of their own previous residence. Bright lights illuminated the huge compound, and helicopters periodically flew overhead, dropping off hulking crates of supplies and waves of exorcists.

"This hardly looks like a camp to me, Shiemi. This is like, a makeshift Headquarters or something." Paku pointed out.

"We can't expect all the camps to be the same size, Paku. It doesn't change the fact that Izumo is here, along with Yukio and Ryuji." Shiemi argued.

"Let's just get Izumo and get out of here, alright? I'd like to be a war criminal for the least amount of time possible." Paku nagged.

"Right, find Izumo. Got it… how are we going to find her again?" Shiemi questioned.

"You really never do come prepared, Shiemi. Let's stay hidden in the tree line until we come up with a plan." Paku suggested, and Shiemi nodded in reply and crouched down next to her friend to observe the hustle and bustle of the camp.

Even in the middle of the night, the camp/base was as lively as could be. Drill sergeants barked orders to the new recruits, exorcists frantically dashed from building to building delivering information and other objects, and guard towers with spotlights surrounded the four corners of the encampment. Knights duelled in the centre of the base, surrounded by cheering crowds that eagerly bet on the winner of the match, and Arias practiced reciting their chants while Nurses and Doctors treated to the never ending supply of wounded.

"It doesn't even seem possible to sneak into, Shiemi. Maybe we should just continue without Izumo…" Paku began, but she was interrupted by Shiemi, who shot her an angry glance.

"Rin gave me a mission and I intend to see it all the way to the end! If you don't like it, you can stay here while I get Izumo by myself." Shiemi said.

"Alright, alright, sorry. Do you have any ideas?" Paku asked her apologetically.

Pondering to herself, Rin's words once again echoed in her head: "It's got a couple of other features..." as she removed her hair ornament and inspected it even closer than before.

"Why can't you make this stupid thing more simple to operate, Rin, you dummy." she mumbled as she ran her fingers all about the bright blue flower that glowed softly in the darkness. Suddenly, her finger seemed to catch a small latch underneath one of the puddles and the blue rose deconstructed itself into a small flat disc as a tiny blue flame erupted from the centre as the tone of what sounded like a telephone ringing played for a moment before they heard a voice ask,

"Shiemi?"

"Rin?! Is that you?!" Shiemi almost shouted before she realised where they were as she clamped her hand over her mouth, her tail wagging side to side like a dog.

"Yes, it's me Shiemi. I was wondering when you would figure out the other features of my gift." Rin replied through the flower.

"Why the hell would you make it so difficult to figure out?" Shiemi grumbled, but Rin just laughed and said,

"You should have learned by now that I don't like doing things the easy way. Not that I don't love hearing your voice, but is there a reason you called? I've got my hands full at the moment."

"Actually, yes there is, Rin. We're outside Izumo's camp right now, and there's absolutely no way we can sneak inside without getting spotted." Shiemi explained.

"Oh, you've come a long way today, nicely done Shiemi. About Izumo's camp, you say there's definitely no way to get it without a confrontation?" Rin asked carefully.

"I'm positive. I wouldn't be asking you for help if I felt we could do it ourselves." Shiemi replied.

"I see… give me a minute. Shiemi, get ready to spring into action." Rin ordered.

"Why, what are you going to do?" she asked.

"You'll see… Shiemi, I'm sorry, I need to go. I love you, stay safe." Rin said, as Shiemi heard a collection of muffled voices in the background.

"I love you too, Rin. Goodbye." Shiemi said, as the small blue flame extinguished and her flower rebuilt itself in her palm.

"It must be difficult, being the girlfriend of such a busy man." Paku teased.

"It's a handful sometimes." Shiemi replied with a grin. "I… I really love him, Paku. I hope he's doing okay."

Putting her hand on Shiemi's shoulder, Paku comforted her and said,

"Don't worry, Shiemi. Rin's tough as nails, remember? It's our job to follow his example."

Returning her gesture with a smile, Shiemi nodded her head and looked back over towards the camp in anticipation of whatever Rin was supposed to be doing to allow them entry into the compound. A few minutes passed, and then a good fifteen more, and eventually it seemed like whatever help was on their way had completely abandoned them.

"What's taking him so long?" Shiemi muttered impatiently. It wasn't like Rin to lie to her, but she was well aware that he was a busy man and was probably trying his hardest to help her as soon as possible.

"I suppose we'll have to proceed without Rin's help." Paku said, scanning the outside of the camp. "Why don't we try over the-" Paku began, but her sentence was cut short by what sounded like an explosion from across the camp as the ground shook furiously from the force of the blast. Searching for the source of the noise, Shiemi and Paku spotted a gigantic _earthworm _burst from the ground, it's pink and fleshy skin covered in bones and dirt as it arched over the compound and burrowed back into the soil, leaving a mess of destruction and two large holes in it's wake.

"Oh, look at that Shiemi! It's an Endbringer!" Kuro chimed in, poking his head out from Shiemi's backpack.

"What's an Endbringer?" Shiemi asked.

"Oh, well, Rin uses them to transport troops... Shiemi, we need to get Izumo, right now!" Kuro shouted, hopping out of her bag and running off towards the front gates, which were now unoccupied and unguarded as all the exorcists swarmed the entrance point of the Endbringer.

"Transport troops?! What is Rin thinking?!" Shiemi exclaimed as she signalled for Paku to follow her as the group sped off to find their friend.

Pushing open the unlocked front gates, Shiemi and company witnessed a scene of utter chaos. Exorcists ran about the camp like chickens with their heads cut off, as flaming projectiles that must have been launched by catapult rained down onto the crowds, obliterating crowds of Vatican forces as the audible sounds of swords clanging and shouts of pain echoed throughout the area.

"Izumo! Izumo!" Shiemi called, running around the outskirts of the camp to avoid being killed by an explosion.

"Looking for someone?" a voice called from behind the group, as the three turned around to find none other than Yukio, holding Izumo at gunpoint as she struggled to break free from his hold.

"Izumo!" the girls called in unison as Yukio barked,

"Take one step and she dies!"

"Yukio, what's gotten into you?! Let go of her!" Shiemi growled.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Shiemi. You're just as guilty as she is, you've allied with Rin, haven't you? Paku as well." Yukio replied. "Pitiful, you've completely lost sight of what team you're playing for."

"I didn't ask to get sucked into a war! _You _forced Rin into his current position, _you're _the one that could have prevented all of this!" Shiemi shot back, and that seemed to push a few of Yukio's buttons, as he seemed to lose his composure for a moment before regaining control of himself.

"I did not have a say in Rin's or my own fate. He chose to travel down the path of evil, and you were foolish to protest the will of the Vatican." Yukio said, his gaze falling to her lower body as he took in the sight of her tail swaying back and forth between her legs.

"What's this? A tail? I see... and you have your own sword as well. I'll go on the assumption Rin has corrupted you with both his blood and his foolish ideals. Now I can kill you without any regret, right after Izumo here." Yukio said, nudging Izumo with the barrel of his pistol.

"Wait!" Shiemi shouted, reaching her hand out as Yukio pointed the gun at her instead.

"Put your hands behind your head, and give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right now." he ordered, and she hesitantly complied and raised her hands behind her head.

"Well..." Shiemi began, her mind racing to find a way out of their current situation. Slowly and calmly, Shiemi edged her hand ever closer to the side of her head, towards her blue rose hair ornament. As Yukio continued to wait for her answer, Shiemi figured it was now or never, and quickly swept her hand over the sharp piece of her flower, splattering her blood over the blue porcelain rose as a bright white light erupted from her area on contact, blinding Yukio as he took a couple of potshots in Shiemi's direction.

"Oh, what's this? The Miss called for me?" a voice called from in front of Yukio, as he rubbed his eyes furiously, regaining his vision as his gaze fell on a tall, green-haired man who stood between the two sides, having recovered Izumo from his clutches and returning her to Shiemi and Paku's side.

"Allow me to be of service, my Queen." Amaimon said, flashing his toothy grin.


End file.
